Some vehicles today are equipped with autonomous and/or at least partly automatic drive systems. Such systems generally aim at increasing comfort and/or safety for vehicle occupants. Some systems are also arranged to increase safety for persons in the host vehicle and/or its surrounding.
An example of such a system is an adaptive cruise control system, ACC. The ACC may comprise one or more sensors, such as a camera and/or a radar, which continuously monitors the host vehicle surrounding. The ACC may also comprise or be connected to a drive control system which adjusts a velocity of the host vehicle in dependence to a vehicle in front of the host vehicle as detected by the sensors. If the host vehicle approaches a preceding vehicle driving in the same lane the ACC may adjust the selected velocity such that the host vehicle keeps a safe distance to the preceding vehicle and follows the preceding vehicle at the safe distance. An ACC can also keep a selected host vehicle velocity where no vehicles are present in front of the host vehicle.
Some ACCs are also capable to steer the host vehicle in some situations, such as below a threshold velocity. The sensors of the host vehicle may be configured to detect road markings and may control the steering system to follow the markings. Such an ACC may also be referred to as a Pilot Assist System or similar.
An ACC may thus perform some drive related functions and can therefore relieve the vehicle operator from some specific tasks, such as controlling a host vehicle velocity in some situations. It would however be desirable with an ACC which, at least partly, can control the host vehicle in a larger number of traffic scenarios and situations than possible today. Accordingly, improvements in the field of adaptive cruise controls and functions thereof are still desirable.